A psychologist reveals 'the single biggest predictor of human happiness'

It was hard, at first, for researchers to take Arthur Aron's study of love and romantic relationships seriously. However, this debatable topic quickly gained research interest and proved that it deserved a closer, more scholarly look.

"As we started persuading people we ought to study [love]," Aron told Tech Insider, researchers began to find something remarkable: "The single biggest predictor of human happiness is the quality of [a person's] relationships."

A few years ago, a major review on the topic concluded that "people with stronger social relationships had a 50% increased likelihood of survival [compared to] those with weaker social relationships."

The idea that we are drawn to other people and happiest when we bond with them is "very basic," Aron said. "We've become aware of just how central it is."

Aron's review reveals this to be one of the most robust findings in the literature on well-being.